Infrastructural developments boosting local basketball

– Vryman’s Erven Court gets  lights

By Michelangelo Jacobus

The Berbice Basketball Association (BBA) on Saturday received a donation from the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) in the form of an outdoor courtside light, a generator and six basketballs. The light is for the Vryman’s Erven Basketball Court in New Amsterdam, while the generator is to be used as the power source for the score clock.
The courtside light is only one of six to be donated to the BBA as the GABF strives to develop basketball in Berbice. This is according to GABF President Nigel Hinds, who told Guyana Times Sport that the aim is to make the Vryman’s Erven Court like the Burnham Court.

The development of the Court is pivotal in bringing outdoor basketball tournaments to Berbice, and ultimately encouraging more players to come out and advance in the sport in the Berbice area.
It was pointed out to this publication that since the Burnham Court in Georgetown has been transformed, there has been an increase in amateur players turning out aside from the regular club players which bodes well for basketball in the capital city.
BBA President Vibert Garrett said that the donations were timely and would further boost basketball in Berbice. He also hinted that the BBA would be going to secondary schools across the county in an effort to promote female basketball.
Another project on the horizon for the GABF is the resurfacing of three major courts in the country, namely the Burnham Court, Mackenzie Court and the New Amsterdam Court.
The fourth Annual National Club Championship, which is set for June-July, promises to be the biggest one yet, as 16 teams will be participating. This year’s edition will see eight teams from Georgetown participating, six from Linden and one from Berbice, while the National Under-17 team will get some much-needed game time before they depart for Puerto Rico to participate in the Centrobasket U-17 Championship.